It's Finished! It's Finished! The Studio is Finished!!

Hi Everybody!  Yes, the Fursdon House Studio is finally finished.  Well, at least its finished to the point where I think I can actually find things now and - more importantly - begin "work" (aka:  creating and having fun!).  This kind of "work" I don't mind at all!!  Here are the photos, even though I have to admit I've already moved some things around.  This is a woman's prerogative, you know!  It's right up there with changing my mind! (Be quiet, Nigel!! No one asked your opinion! Ha Ha)  So here are the photos!!  Let me know what you think!

Upon entering, you see one of my most prized possessions in the studio - my mother's jelly cabinet that my grandfather (Pop) handmade for her and which she very graciously gave to me for my Ribbon Cabinet!  I plan to alter it very slightly by adding a few more shelves inside and it's great because now when I want a whole spool of ribbon out, I don't have to take the other spools off the rod I previously had them hanging on! 

Another gift from Mom (ever generous that she is!!) is the Singer sewing table!  It was black, but now painted the white you see.  Isn't it beautiful?  I vaguely remember my Dad's mother, Grandmother Hoffman, using one when I was young.  Dad and Grandma and Grandpa Hoffman would all be very pleased to see the stitching I've done these past few years!  I even have a picture of my Grandpa Hoffman sitting and stitching at an old Singer Sewing Machine!  Apparently he was quite adept!!

The pink stool belonged to my Mom's mom, Gran (who is my granddaughter Isabel's namesake).  Gran LOVED pink (I'm sure she still does, come to think of it!) so I enjoyed painting it with a fresh coat of pink and recovering the seat in a floral pattern.  It's very sturdy and the perfect height to use as a seat!

This photo has a better picture of my Cabinet Dolls House.  I talked about it in an earlier article.  I decided to bring it into the studio because I figure that's the only way I'll eventually get around to completing it.  It needs a "rooftop garden".  And I may even talk Nigel into putting electricity in it!  Poor man!

The plastic bins on the left are full of color-coded fabrics I plan to use in a crazy quilted throw for the living room - in my spare time! Ha Ha  

Here's a great idea I got from a magazine, though I can't remember which one.  Clear plastic hanging shoe bags!!  They make a great storage area for small bits and pieces.  Although I've seen some lovely ones made of fabrics, I prefer this one because you can see everything in it!

On the left as you enter are these wonderful metal shelves from Home Depot!  They have adjustable shelves and are extremely sturdy.  On them are another favorite of mine - tiered trays!  There so elegant, but very useful too because they can display many items in a relatively small space!

Hanging above the shelves are other favorites (It's so nice to have a place to display most of my favorites in one place, ready to inspire creative thoughts!)  There's my "Wreathus Bulbous Maximus" made from vintage glass balls I've collected over the years (this one is about 10 years old and going strong, while another newer one was broken beyond recognition.  Ouch).  To the right of it is the Christening Gown that both my daughters, Laura and Liz, wore as well as my granddaughter, Isabel, at their Christenings!  Hard to imagine them fitting into something so small and delicate, but I've got photos to prove it!  The gown was a gift from Nigel's Mom, Valerie, from her fabulous antique shop, Valerie Fursdon, Inc.  If I remember correctly, it's dated about 1910 (Edwardian) and is from England.  The photo we have of Isabel is rather tongue in cheek because we're holding up the hem to show her little white pair of Keds canvas sneakers!   To the right front of the shelves are one of my wire mannequins (compliments of T. J. Maxx, another favorite store), dressed with an apron I decorated with various important dates and names.

Proceeding with the left side is the desk that once belonged to our girls when we first moved here to Madison.  It was in natural wood tones, but I painted it white and distressed it.  Poor Nigel hates "distressed" or painted wood, but I'm a BIG fan of it. Behind the desk is another of Nigel's handicrafts for me - peg board!  It's wonderful stuff, very neat looking though he painted it again.  Even though it was already white, it wasn't bright enough and the edges weren't painted.  Did I mention Nigel was also a perfectionist?

The chair behind the desk is another piece my grandfather "Pop" made, by taking pieces of several broken chairs and putting them together to make one!  Creativity runs on both sides of our families!  All I did was paint it - what else - white!  Then - what else - I distressed it!

Here are the wonderful wire shelves we decided on rather than the wooden ones Nigel was originally going to build.  I'm very happy with our decision.  Although it cost about the same (due to Nigel's perfectionist tendencies), these were much easier and faster to put up.  And they're not closed in so I can see everything at a glance, while it all remains neat looking!

Beads and buttons and furbelows.  Papers and trims, ribbons and fabrics.  Glues and paints and everything else in between!  In short, everything a woman needs to create to her hearts content.  Or....do nothing at all except look at it, absorb its beauty, breathe deeply and peacefully, and know its all there for another day!

But......there must be music!  Lovely lyrical music to get things going and carry things through to fruition!  So here you see my stereo on the - yes, it's PINK - file cabinet!

Well, that's it for now!  I'm pooped just showing you!  But I wanted to share it all with you because it felt like such an accomplishment!!  Next up is the wooden ladder (Nigel is building that too) and candles for the chandelier (after Nigel cuts off the metal tops of the "holders" which are designed to have light bulbs screwed into them).  Then Nigel wants to finish the rock on the concrete steps.  Hey, it isn't me who insisted on all these lovelies!! Nigel's precise words were:  "If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right!"

Till later than! Love and Blessings to All!  Jan